The fishmongers along Volendam's harbour boardwalk are the most honest expression of what the town actually is. The local speciality is smoked eel — pulled from the IJsselmeer, smoked in the old way, sold in portions wrapped in paper. It is oily, rich, and good. The herring is worth trying too, eaten Dutch-style with raw onion, though the eel is the point.
Most stalls are open daily from around 9am and sell out by mid-afternoon on busy days. The prices are fair and the quality is reliable — this is not tourist food in the derogatory sense, but the actual daily trade of a fishing village. Eat standing at the boardwalk with the boats behind you; there is no better lunch in the area.